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S'mores Cupcakes

November 11, 2014

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I received another tasty Degustabox at the end of October and have
been
enjoying it's contents in the ensuing weeks. You can see evidence of
that with these gorgeous S'mores Cupcakes that I made using the Dr Oetker chocolate products which I received in the box, but more
about that later, right now I want to tell
you all about what else I got in the October box . . .

I do enjoy these boxes when they arrive each month. It's a little bit like getting a
Christmas package because you never know what is going to be in it
until it arrives. I love delicious surprises!! Once a month, each month Degustabox will
deliver to your home 10 to 15 new, special or innovative food products
for you to try in the comfort of your own home via a subscription
service. A monthly subscription costs £9.99 and there is a delivery fee
of £3, for a total of £12.99, and what you receive can be tailored to
the types of things that you like and would use. Here is what was in the October box .

Special K Cracker Crisps, the deliciously moreish savoury smack that you can feel good about. Delightfully thin crisps with a distinctive, satisfying crunch, at 60% less fat than the average fat content of most other crisps on sale in the UK & ROI. Available in a tempting range of tantalizing flavours, Sour Cream and Onion, Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar, Sweet Chili and Barbeque. FInd them in most stores in 23g individual packs, 80g sharing packs or 4 X 21g multi packs. The larger pack costs £1.89. I was sent the Barbecue flavour and I quite enjoyed them. I liked the fact that I could snack on something without it being loaded with fat and calories.

Getbussing offer a range of 100% natural healthy eating flapjacks that complement a well balanced diet by providing fast and slow releasing energy that will keep you going for longer. A perfect on the go snack that also taste great. Visitwww.getbuzzing.co.uk to see and purchase their new range, and enjoy 10% of your order with discount code 'newbuzz10'RRP £1.30

Enhance Drinks. Small, fabulous and packed with natural flavour, ehnance is designed especially for an adult palate. One quick squeeze transforms yoru water into a delicious, light fruity drink, helping you stay hydrated anywhere, anytime. Made with real fruit juice and with no added sugar, enhance is only 1 calorie a drink. Available from Asda and Ocado. £2.49

Kents Kitchen The meal kits are a one, two, three step to an authentic, delicious meal in just 20 minutes. Use the three clever pots and add a few fresh ingredients to create a restaurant quality meal. All natural ingredients and perfect to keep in the store upcoard for when you need meal inspiration. RRP £2.50

Solo Marshmallow Creme is a delicious spreadable sweet marshmallow treat that offers amazing versatility as a baking ingredient and tastes just as good straight from the tub. Available at americansoda.co.uk and selected other outlets. Solo Marshmallow Creme comes in original and toasted flavours, perfect for all kinds of uses. RRP £1.99

Bear Paws are a delicious pure fruit snack with no added sugar, concentrates or any other nonsense. Gently baked into playful paw prints, they whisk kids off for a walk on the wild side with 5 paw prints to find in each bag. Find them in all the supermarkets in the baby and toddler aisles. RRP £0.55

Brioche Pasquier Sliced Brioche Loaf This briche loaf is made using the same traditional methods as their rolls. Delightful at any time of day and versatile as a snack, meal or ingredient, this loaf is sliced for your convenience and ready to go. RRP £1.69

Brioche Pasquier Pain Au Lait with Choc Chips They have used the same traditional recipe and baking expertise as the Pain au Lait and added some delicious dark chocolate chips. These rolls are soft and tasty, and ideal for a sweet snack or for breakfast. RRP £1.60

Jelly Belly There are over 100 true to life Jelly Belly Jelly bean flavours. With their intensely juicy taste, made from the finest ingreditnes available, every single bean can take up to 21 days to create. It's true! Jelly Belly is the untilate flavour adveture and every foodie's worst kept secret. RRP £2.50

Degustabo Fridge this month was Benecol Greek Style: New Benecol Greek Style Yoghurt's contain plant stanols, aunique cholesterol lowering ingredient which is a proven to significantly lower cholesterol in just 3 weeks. The yogurts come in a 4 pack with 2 X strawberry and 2 X vanilla yogurts, all yogurts are thick and creamy, low in fat and cholesterol-lowering.

Dr Oetker Premium 90% Extra Dark Chocolate. New! This new Dr Oetker product contains 90% cocoa solids and is made from single origin Ghanian cocoa beans which delivers an intensely indulgent chocolate taste to all your baking. This is idea for melting and using in your favourite chocolate recipes. RRP £2.49

Dr Oeter FIne Dark Cocoa Powder is made from the finest quality cocoa beans and is specifically created for home baking to give a rich dark chocolate colour and flavour. Perfect for conevenience and freshness, each multipack contains three premeasured 25g sachets and comes with a free recipe card. RRP £1.60

I chose to feature the Dr Oetker chocolate product this month in a tasty cupcake recipe which resembles everyone's favourite campfire treat (and in honor of bonfire night) S'mores Cupcakes!

Moist and fudgy these delightful cupcakes sport a fabulous sour cream chocolate frosting, biscuit crumbs dusted over top and a garnish of a toasted marshmallow half and bite of milk chocolate!

These cupcakes are absolutely fabulous. Delicious and moist and quite moreish indeed! Garnishes aside, if you are looking for a lovely chocolate cupcake with a nice frosting, this one fits the bill perfectly!

A
moist chocolate cupcake topped with a sour cream chocolate frosting, a
toasted marshmallow, some digestive or graham cracker crumbs and a
square of chocolate on top.

For the cupcakes:

4 TBS unsalted butter, softened

150g of soft light brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)

1/4 tsp salt

1 large free range egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

80ml sour cream (1/3 cup)

105g of plain flour (3/4 cup)

21g of sifted cocoa powder (1/4 cup)

3/4 tsp baking soda

80ml hot water (1/3 cup)

For the frosting:

28g of unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (1 ounce)

4 TBS unsalted butter, softened

115g of icing sugar, sifted (1 cup confectioners sugar)

3 TBS cocoa powder

80ml sour cream (1/3 cup)

1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

You will also need:

12 large marshmallows, cut in half through the middle and toasted until golden brown under a grill

4 TBS digestive biscuit crumbs (graham cracker crumbs)

12 squares milk chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.

Stir
the butter, sugar and salt together in a large bowl until combined.
Whisk in the egg and then the vanilla and sour cream. Sift in the
flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Whisk gently until lmost
combined. Whisk in the hot water. Divide between the prepared muffin
cups. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, just until firm. Let cool in the pan
for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling
completely.

For the frosting, place the chocolate in a bowl
and set over simmering water. Allow to melt. Whisk in the butter,
sugar, ocoa, sour cream, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy.
Spoon about 2 TBS of the frosting on top of each cooled cupcake.
Spread out a bit. Sprinkle each with some biscuit crumbs and top with a
toasted marshmallow half and square of chocolate.

Many thanks to Degustabox for sending me this box. I
have to say I really look forward to getting my box each month. There
are always lots of things in it to enjoy and new products to try out. I
highly recommend.

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About Me

Marie Rayner

Canadian ex pat deliciously living and cooking in the UK. I cook and eat every day. I like to take pictures of it and then share it with you!

How I got Here

Welcome to my English Kitchen. I moved over here to England from Canada in the year 2000. Before I arrived, I was told that the cooking and food over here was awful, except for the Roast Beef and the Fish and Chips. I had no idea of what to expect, but it didn't sound good.
I landed at Heathrow with a bulging suitcase full of kitchen tools, handwritten recipes and a 4 litre can of Maple Syrup, totally prepared to be greeted with the worst.
I am happy to say that over the past 17 years I have discovered that most of what I had heard was totally and completelywrong!
Here in the UK we have some of the best poultry, meats, fishes, ingredients and produce in the world, and some of the most innovative chefs. I have learned so much about cooking in the past fifteen years, and I've enjoyed trying and experiencing many new things, thankfully most of them wonderfully delicious!
I love English food . . . both the traditional, and the wonderful blend that is modern British Cuisine . . . a delicious mixture of a variety of tastes and cultures.
I hope you'll come along with me as I explore all the wonderful tastes, sights and textures that England has to offer even the most discerning of palates.

Contact Me

If you have any questions or want to work with me, feel free to e-mail me at mariealicejoan@aol.com

Colour me Chuffed

Thank You

TWEET

Did You Know???

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

Make Your Own Baking Powder:You can make your own baking powder by combining 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. It's ideal for coeliac sufferers who can't find the gluten-free variety of this raising agent, but measure it out carefully because too much or too little can upset a recipe's balance.

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning: Mix together 2 1/2 TBS of salt, 1 TBS dried oregano leaves (Rub to a powder using your fingertips), 1 TBS sweet paprika, 1 TBS cayenne pepper, and 1 TBS ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to six months.Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice: Mix together 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground mace or ground cardamom. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.